Germination Ideas, Tips & Guides

Whether you are renovating a weedy lawn or overseeding existing turf, timing is critical to establishing a healthy, robust lawn. Proper timing ensures good seed germination and allows grass seedlings time to establish a healthy root system before the environmental stresses of summer or winter arrive. In turn, a healthy grass stand is better able to compete against weeds and requires less maintenance. We visited with a lawn expert to learn more about the ideal time to reseed lawns, factors to consider, and techniques for achieving a lush and healthy lawn.

Sometimes, the healthiest-looking seeds may not sprout, wasting your time. However, if you use these tips, you will know quickly if the seed is viable for germination and save a lot of waiting time!

Most flowers take months to produce a single bloom, but not those included in this list! Compiled for the eager gardener, these quick blooms emerge within a month after planting their transplants. Start their seeds well in advance and transplant them at the right time to get quick blooms. Let’s explore!

Damp paper towels are sometimes the only help you need to coax stubborn seeds into sprouting. If you think it’s a myth, check out this list of seeds that germinate best, yes, the best in paper towels, and try it out yourself!

Q: We’ve just moved into our home, a new build in the countryside, and don’t have much of a budget to create a garden. We’d like to start by sowing a traditional lawn around the house, which is just a big expanse of bare soil and weeds. Any tips would be great. CB, Co Meath

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To kids, dandelions provide endless hours of seed-blowing entertainment. To adults, they represent endless hours of weeding. To get ahead of these stubborn weeds, take a cue from the kid inside of you and focus on the seeds. Dandelions have a deep tap root and can live for many years, making them challenging to control once established. The most effective management strategies focus on prevention and removal of young plants. Here’s how to get rid of dandelions and get back to enjoying the landscape.

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

June growing with Cel

Planting grass is more than just scattering seeds on soil; it's an art, a delicate dance with nature's rhythms. The key to a lush, vibrant lawn lies in timing. Understanding the nuances of the seasons is crucial. Spring brings warmth and rejuvenation, making it an ideal time for sowing grass. As the earth awakens from its winter slumber, seeds eagerly germinate, taking root in the fertile soil. With ample sunlight and moisture, the young grasslings flourish, setting the stage for a verdant carpet.

If you often purchase arugula in those plastic containers at the supermarket, have you considered planting arugula yourself? This peppery green is easy to grow in gardens and containers. And, if you choose the right variety, it’s perennial. For a spicy summer salad option, read this guide to planting arugula. If you’ve ever read a British or Australian recipe and wondered what rocket or roquette is, well, it’s arugula. I explain more ab

May growing with Cel

How to Propagate Passionflower Vines

Pre-sprouting seeds is a budget-friendly way to maximize your plant propagation success. If you follow these Ways To Pre-sprout Seeds, you will eliminate the annoying wait time to germinate seeds!

How to Propagate Fatsia from Seed

It’s April, that most magical of months, when nature’s life force quickens day by day and every tiny seed sown is a powerful spell racing to transform itself. With that in mind, below are 10 fast-growing, ultra-productive annuals that I wouldn’t be without, all of which can be raised from seed sown in the next couple of weeks.

These Fast Growing Herbs You Can Grow From Seeds germinate quickly, which means you can start them indoors anytime without waiting for weeks for them to emerge. It’s also inexpensive compared to buying plants from the store.

To enhance the chances of plants sprouting, you need to ensure you follow the right set of rules to roll the green dices in your favour. These are some of the dumbest seed starting mistakes people do without realizing their consequences.

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Sowing a seed directly into the ground, nurturing it, and reaping the rewards is one of the easiest gardening activities you can do—yet many gardeners don’t. There are many reasons to direct sow. Often, you’ll have earlier harvests because the seeds will germinate when it’s the perfect time to grow, and stronger seedlings because transplant shock isn’t an issue. Planting seeds in general (instead of buying transplants) gives you more varietal options, and you can also save a lot of money (1 packet of 30 to 150 seeds often costs less than a 6-pack of plants). And then there is the personal satisfaction factor. Ask any child who has planted a sunflower seed how they feel when that flower towers over their head, and you’ll understand what I mean.

What is this cool-season weed that is turning fallow fields purple right now?

If you were looking for a trick to stimulate seed germination, this is it. There are certain seeds that need smoke to germinate better and quickly, learn how to do this below!

The curly herb Parsley crispum is naturally slow to germinate. If the soil dries out it may never germinate.

Knowing how often to water seedlings is an important skill to learn when starting seeds indoors. Too little water can affect germination or cause small seedlings to wilt. Too much water deprives plants of oxygen, encourages fungus gnats, and may prompt issues like damping off. The frequency of watering depends on factors like the size of the seedlings, the growing mix, and the types of containers you’re using. In this article you’ll learn how often to water seedlings grown in cell packs, pots, soil cubes, and more, and how to do it right.

Growing butternut squash involves several distinct stages, from seed germination to fruits. Understanding these will help you get a plentiful harvest!

Coneflowers (Echinacea species) are a favorite perennial of millions of gardeners, and growing Echinacea from seed is fun and easy, if you follow the strategies I’m about to share. In this article I’ll introduce 3 methods of planting Echinacea seeds and the correct timing for each technique. With a little patience and forethought, you can grow hundreds of coneflower plants for the price of a single packet of seeds.

Old towels can be used in a variety of ways that can help you in a lot of day-to-day gardening chores to make it really easy for you!

Nail clipper, a common household tool, can surprisingly play an important role in successful germination of seeds along with helping plants to grow better. Sounds impossible? Keep reading!

March growing with Cel Robertson

There are certain seeds in the plant kingdom that you should freeze to avoid a poor germination rate after planting and if you are wondering why, read below!

How to Grow Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) from Seed

How to Grow Parsley from Seed

How to Pre-Seed your Garden in Fall for an Early Spring Harvest

Monsteras are popular indoor plants that stand out with their lush foliage having unique cuts! Growing it involves witnessing various stages that you should be aware of to understand its requirements better.

Whether you’re starting seeds off in the cold, winter months, encouraging cuttings to root or raising tender plants originally from warmer climates, a constant heat source will help create the best conditions to nurture them. Heated propagators are an ideal accessory which, depending on the type you choose, either offers a consistent, ambient temperature or can be set at a particular temperature to suit your needs. Because of our cooler temperatures, warmer climate plants like tomatoes, aubergines, chilli and bell peppers and squashes need a long growing season to give them time to grow, flower, produce fruit and for the fruit to ripen. Germinating them indoors in a heated propagator early in the year, when outside it would be much too cold for them to grow, ensures they get the long growing season they need. But even hardier and native plants benefit from being germinated at a constant temperature.

How to Grow Impatiens from Seed